10.03.2025
Corruption
Investigations
Money laundering
Partners’ refusal to help Ukraine. Monakivtsi and the role of Arakhamia and Abramovich in protecting the interests of oligarchs
“Impose sanctions on the top 10 Ukrainian oligarchs, especially those with mansions in Monaco, and this will stop immediately. This is the key to the puzzle.” – wrote the American billionaire Elon Musk on his page in the social network ‘X’.
Few people know, but influential political figures in Ukraine, including the main representatives of the ruling Servant of the People party, have a powerful alliance that supports the largest corruption schemes that permeate the state apparatus.
We are talking about the alliance of David Arakhamia, Danylo Hetmantsev and representatives of the “Monaco Battalion” like Ihor Abramovych and Vitaliy Khomutynnik, as well as law enforcement officers – former DSR member Serhiy Vyazmikin, current head of the unit Andriy Rubel, and interim head of the BES Serhiy Perkhun. Each of them has his own sphere of influence, so the mechanism they created operates clearly and without interference from local authorities.
In particular, Hetmantsev, as the head of the Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, controls the country’s tax system. This control allows him not only to effectively collect taxes and fill the state budget, but also to direct funds to “private” interests, which in fact leads to the pockets of the Monakivtsi.
Arakhamia, in turn, acts as a political “cover” for the schemes, guaranteeing votes in Parliament for those who follow his instructions.
While Rubel and Vyazmikin protect the interests of the group on the part of the law enforcement system, ensuring that criminal proceedings and investigative actions are “slowed down”.
We propose to analyze the influence of the same members of the Monakivtsi, who seem to have seized absolutely all key areas of functioning of the warring Ukraine: from energy to tenders for the reconstruction and fortification of the frontline regions.
Tax schemes
A large part of the Monakivtsi’s income comes from schemes at the tax office: excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and fuel.
The Monakivtsi supervised the activities of the excise department of the tax office through their back office located in the Parus shopping center in Kyiv, headed by General Yevhen Koval. Koval has been trying to maintain control over the excise for a long time, but the situation has changed with the arrival of Ruslan Kravchenko, the new head of the State Tax Service.
The activities of Ukrainian Tobacco Production LLC, located in the village of Hoshcha, Rivne region, are particularly interesting. This company specializes in counterfeiting excise stamps for well-known international tobacco brands such as Rothmans, Marlboro, Parliament, Sobranie, Kent, and Bond.
The counterfeit products are being sold in both Ukraine and the European Union. Although law enforcement officers have repeatedly tried to conduct searches and stop the flow of smuggling, all their actions have been ineffective due to the “patronage” of Vyazmikin and Rubel, the unofficial curators of the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police.
The head of the BES, Perhun, also “slows down” the investigation of tax crimes. On his initiative, materials revealing the mechanisms of smuggling, production of counterfeit alcohol and tobacco, as well as schemes of twisting and understatement of the VAT rate, are simply left without consideration. This is once again destroying Ukraine’s reputation in the eyes of the international community.
The Monakivtsi grain corridor
The second most lucrative area of Monakovtsy’s activities is the grain corridor, where the names of Abramovich and Vyazmikin have become synonymous with abuse. They have long been associated with the illegal export of grain, and Hetmantsev’s role in this process is limited to empty promises and denials. According to sources, for every ton of grain exported through Ukraine’s ports, bribes at various stages amount to $7. This money goes to representatives of the Bureau of Economic Security, the Security Service of Ukraine, the State Customs Service, and representatives of the ex-Opposition Platform for Life, represented by Abramovich and Vyazmikin.
A whole network of “controllers” has been created at the ports, who cover up illegal transactions by accepting bribes, not noticing “cash” payments, and thus allow grain to be exported without any documents.
Arakhamia’s Servant’s influence in key areas
Arakhamia and Abramovich also control Centrenergo, where they make billions of dollars in coal purchases during the energy crisis. The head of the “Servant of the People” faction is now also accountable for the budget of the State Enterprise “Printing Plant ‘Ukraine’, whose tender for the production of securities” totaling more than UAH 8.5 billion was awarded to Polly-Service LLC. Again, controlled by Arakhamia.
Khomutynnik and schemes at Ukrenergo, the subway and ties to Prytula
Khomutynnik is another member of the Monaco Battalion involved in manipulations within the state-owned company Ukrenergo. NABU’s investigation revealed that three companies with licenses to supply electricity received it from the unified energy system for three years. Then they sold it and, of course, did not pay for the electricity consumed by Ukrenergo.
Thus, the state-owned enterprise lost more than 60 million hryvnias. And Khomutynnik and his partners lined their own pockets. In its report, the NABU accused Volodymyr Skorobahach, a member of the Kharkiv Regional Council, of manipulation.
However, it is obvious that a local official could hardly have carried out fraud of this magnitude. So why didn’t NABU mention Khomutynnik? Or are we once again witnessing political wars among law enforcement officers?
Khomutynnik also contributed to the construction of the subway in the capital. More precisely, to the embezzlement of the budget. Kyivmetrobud, controlled by the oligarch, was supposed to build a subway to Vynohradar, for which Kyiv allocated UAH 6 billion. However, since 2018, the company has not completed any work, and the money has simply disappeared.
Khomutynnik is also closely related to the famous Ukrainian volunteer and showman Serhiy Prytula. The businessman is the husband of the sister of Prytula’s second wife. In the context of the investigation, the question arises: did Khomutynnik help the volunteer in supplying the Armed Forces? And if so, why, knowing about his business ties with such an oligarch, did the showman not speak about it publicly?
Reconstruction and fortification at the expense of the Monakivtsi
The influence of the Monakivtsi is not limited to schemes in the state apparatus. Kharkiv resident Abramovych, with the assistance of Arakhamia, has established influence over local authorities in the frontline Kharkiv region. The local leaders, Terekhov and Syniehubov, are fully accountable to their Kyiv supervisors. That’s why public procurement contracts related to the reconstruction and fortification of the region are won by companies controlled by the authorities.
Subsequently, funds are withdrawn through fictitious transactions, and the cost of services is overstated in reports to hide the true costs. Reporting companies, such as ZHD TRANS KOMPLET LLC, IMPEX LOGISTIK LTD, PJSC TRUST ZHYTLOBUD-1, TECH-INCOM LLC, ATHINA GROUP LTD, Palmaz Group LLC, Kharkivbudservice LLC, Zhilstroy-2 ALC, Project Alliance LLC, and TED LLC, are constantly winning multimillion-dollar tenders. At the same time, no real work is being done, Kharkiv residents are left homeless, and the safety of the entire region remains at risk.
The situation is similar with the funds provided by American and European partners to help the frontline regions. Billions simply disappear into the pockets of the Monakivtsi, Sinehubov, and Terekhov, leaving nothing for ordinary Ukrainians.
Isn’t it time to fight the Monakivtsi clan, whose corruption schemes have permeated the entire state apparatus? Why do the names of current officials Arakhamia, Hetmantsev, Rubel, Perkhun not appear in any NABU investigations? And why have no sanctions been imposed on the property of Abramovich and Vyazmikin, who openly enjoy life in sunny Monaco? If international partners are already paying attention to the lawlessness inside Ukraine, what can we expect next?
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